LA Professor says being Taylor Swift fan is 'slightly racist,' sparks conspiracy theories online

A tweet from Melina Abdullah, a Pan-African Studies professor at Cal State University Los Angeles, sparked controversy after speculating that being a Taylor Swift fan might be 'slightly racist.'

Abdullah, known for her outspoken views on social media, shared her opinion after Super Bowl Sunday, on 12 February 2024, igniting a debate among Swifties and social media users.

In her tweet, Abdullah questioned the racial implications of being a fan of the pop icon, stating:

"Why do I feel like it's slightly racist to be a Taylor Swift fan?"

This provocative statement prompted a plethora of responses from internet netizens.

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Taylor Swift fans react to Cal State University Los Angeles professor's tweet

Melina Abdullah's recent tweet, posted on Super Bowl Sunday, about Taylor Swift fans being 'slightly racist,' adds to her track record of controversial opinions. Her statements ignited a range of reactions and discussions on X.

User reactions (Image via X)

User reactions (Image via X)

User reaction (Image via X)

User reactions (Image via X)

User reactions (Image via X)

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The follow-up

A few hours after her initial tweet about Taylor Swift, Abdullah posted again on X, this time expressing suspicion about the outcome of the Super Bowl, insinuating it might be part of a right-wing conspiracy. She wrote:

"Why do I feel like this was some right-wing, white-supremacist conspiracy?!?! Booooooo!!!! #SuperBowl."

Responding to the scrutiny her previous posts garnered, Abdullah doubled down on her belief that many things are inherently racist. She stated:

"Folks think they’re attacking me by asking why I think everything is racist…I’m not offended. Virtually everything is racist."

When asked by users to elaborate, Abdullah clarified, emphasizing the subjective nature of her sentiment, saying:

"I said FEEL, not think. Kind of like that feeling I get when there are too many American flags."

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Melina Abdullah's prior social media posts

The Taylor Swift tweet is not the first time Abdullah has stirred controversy on social media. Her controversial statements have consistently sparked debates and drawn attention to her perspective.

According to The College Fix at a conference in 2017, Abdullah compared today's police officers to "slave catchers" of the past, emphasizing a historical context for her skepticism towards law enforcement.

In December 2021, she defended actor Jussie Smollett's innocence two days before his conviction for staging a fake hate crime, citing a distrust of the police. In a statement on the Black Lives Matter website, she wrote:

"In our commitment to abolition, we can never believe police, especially the Chicago Police Department (CPD) over Jussie Smollett, a Black man who has been courageously present, visible, and vocal in the struggle for Black freedom. While policing at-large is an irredeemable institution, CPD is notorious for its long and deep history of corruption, racism, and brutality."

Additionally, in June 2022, she tweeted that white people weren't welcome at Juneteenth celebrations, insisting it should be a day of reparations for them, tweeting:

"Attention white people… Please don’t ask if you can come to the cookout… #Juneteenth is freedom day for Black folks. It should be #Reparations day for white folks."

According to information on the BLM Grassroots website, Abdullah is identified as the director of the activist wing and one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter chapter in Los Angeles.